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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 13 Jun 2017[PDF]
• Coalition Strikes Continue Against ISIS in Iraq, Syria AFPS 13 Jun 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 37 strikes consisting of 65 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Pentagon Chief: US 'Not Winning' in Afghanistan VOA 13 Jun 2017 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told lawmakers Tuesday that the United States is not gaining in the fight to stabilize Afghanistan and vowed to present a strategy to Congress "by mid-July."
• Pentagon Under Fire As Mattis Admits U.S. Is 'Not Winning' War In Afghanistan RFE/RL 13 Jun 2017 -- The United States is "not winning" in Afghanistan as the Taliban surges there and a new strategy to change the situation will be presented by mid-July, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told Congress on June 13.
• Haqqani Network Commander Reportedly Killed By Drone Strike In Pakistan RFE/RL 13 Jun 2017 -- A suspected U.S. drone strike in northwestern Pakistan has killed a commander of the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network, local officials say.
• US drone strike kills two militants in Pakistan Press TV 13 Jun 2017 -- Pakistani officials have announced the death of a key militant commander in an airstrike allegedly carried out by a US drone.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Bahrain King Visits Naval Forces Central Command NNS 13 Jun 2017 -- His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the king of the Kingdom of Bahrain, visited the headquarters of Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT), June 12.
• Dunford to Senate: Competitive Edge Requires Stable, Predictable Funding AFPS 13 Jun 2017 -- The U.S. military's qualitative and quantitative competitive advantage over its foes is in jeopardy if Congress does not provide stable and predictable funding, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told the Senate Armed Services Committee here today.
• Mattis Says DoD Needs Years to Correct Effects of Sequestration AFPS 13 Jun 2017 -- Even if Congress acts now to rid the Defense Department of looming sequestration spending cuts, it will take years of stable and higher budgets for DoD to dig out of the readiness hole, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told the Senate Armed Services Committee today.
• Mattis 'Shocked' by US Military's Lack of Readiness Following Sequestration Sputnik 13 Jun 2017 -- James Mattis said in a written statement to the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee that he has been very disturbed by the US military's lack of readiness.
• Army prepares to field disaster response communication tool suite Army News 13 Jun 2017 -- If disaster strikes the U.S. homeland, a new network communications tool suite will enable Army National Guard Soldiers to provide first responders with network and phone communications, even when local infrastructure has been destroyed.
• South Dakota National Guard's participants experience river crossing during 2017 Golden Coyote Army News 13 Jun 2017 -- Military units participating in the South Dakota National Guard's 33rd annual Golden Coyote training exercise experienced a river crossing operation on the Missouri River near Chamberlain, June 10-11
• USS Carney Arrives in Rota, Spain NNS 13 Jun 2017 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) returned to Naval Station Rota, Spain June 12, for a mid-patrol availability period.
• BHR ESG, 31st MEU Holds Shipboard Live-Fire Drill, Continue Integration on Deployment NNS 13 Jun 2017 -- Sailors aboard amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) and USS Green Bay (LPD 20) and Marines of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) embarked on those ships conducted a live-fire ship's self defense drill, June 11 and 12 respectively.
• Thousands of NATO troops join 'Iron Wolf' drills in Lithuania Press TV 13 Jun 2017 -- The NATO military alliance has launched large military drills in Lithuania with the participation of over 5,000 troops from 10 members as part of a broader series of exercises at the Russian doorstep.
• Russia, China challenging US military dominance: Mattis Press TV 13 Jun 2017 -- US Secretary of Defense James Mattis has warned that Russia and China are challenging America's military dominance with technological advances, "placing the international order under assault."
• Mattis: Russia, China Challenging US Military Dominance Sputnik 13 Jun 2017 -- US Secretary of Defense James Mattis said that Russia and China are challenging the United States' military dominance with technological advances in sea, land and air weapons systems.
• Russia to Carry Out Observation Flight Over UK Sputnik 13 Jun 2017 -- Russian aircraft will carry out an observation flight over the United Kingdom under the Treaty on Open Skies.
• Mattis: Russia Appears to Be in Violation of Open Skies Treaty Sputnik 13 Jun 2017 -- US Secretary of Defense James Mattis accused Moscow of violating the Open Skies Treaty.
• Russia's Far East Covered by Cutting-Edge 'Kill-All' Buk-M3 Anti-Missile Systems Sputnik 13 Jun 2017 -- An air defense unit of the Russian Eastern Military District has become the first in Siberia and the Far East to receive the cutting-edge 'Kill-All' Buk-M3 anti-missile defense systems as a precautionary measure in the event that the situation on the Korean peninsula deteriorates.
• Xi commends outstanding PLA company in HK People's Daily 13 Jun 2017 -- Xi Jinping, chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), has conferred an honorary title on a unit from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Hong Kong Garrison.
• North Korean nukes threaten global peace: Pentagon chief Press TV 13 Jun 2017 -- US Secretary of Defense James Mattis has said North Korea's nuclear weapons program poses a "clear and present danger" to international peace and security.
• South Korean military says suspected DPRK drone spies on THAAD site People's Daily 13 Jun 2017 -- A South Korean military source has said that a suspected drone of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), which was found last week near the east inter-Korean border, spied on the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) deployment site in southeast South Korea.
• Seoul Finds North Korean Drone Spying on THAAD Site Sputnik 13 Jun 2017 -- According to media reports, South Korea has found a crashed small North Korean camera-equipped drone after it spied on the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense.
• India Plans Purchasing Weapons to Protect Air Force Bases Across Country Sputnik 13 Jun 2017 -- India's Defense Ministry issued a request for information (RFI) from arms manufacturers, aiming to beef up the Garud Commando Force, a special unit of the Indian Air Force (IAF).
• Turkey sends military team to assess deployment in Qatar amid embargo Press TV 13 Jun 2017 -- Turkey has dispatched a team of military experts to Qatar to evaluate troop deployment, as several Arab states have imposed an all-out embargo against the peninsula over allegations of supporting terrorism.
• Press Gaggle by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Sanders en route Washington, D.C. | 6/13/2017 The White House 13 Jun 2017
• Department Press Briefing - June 13, 2017 US Dept. of State 13 Jun 2017

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for June 13, 2017

Other Conflicts

• 13 June 2017 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 13 Jun 2017
• Protection of migrant and refugee children must be at core of new global compacts - UN agency UN News 13 Jun 2017 -- Amid ongoing discussions towards the first-ever global compacts on refugees and migration, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) joined other United Nations agencies meeting in Berlin today stressing that all parties involved in these talks must work together to address the needs of migrant children, consistent with their human rights.
• Yemeni retaliatory attack leaves four Saudi soldiers dead Press TV 13 Jun 2017 -- At least four Saudi soldiers have been killed when Yemeni army soldiers and fighters from allied Popular Committees launched an attack against a border crossing in Saudi Arabia's southwestern border region of Asir as they continue their retaliatory raids against Riyadh regime's aerial bombardment campaign.
• Syrian army, allied forces capture key towns west of Raqqah Press TV 13 Jun 2017 -- Syrian army soldiers backed by fighters from the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah have managed to liberate several key towns in the desert area west of Raqqah from Daesh Takfiri terrorists as they continue to score more territorial gains in battles against extremists across the Arab country.
• HRW accuses US, allies of using child soldiers to recapture Raqqah Press TV 13 Jun 2017 -- Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused the US-led coalition and its local allies of using child soldiers during their major offensive to recapture the northern Syrian city of Raqqah from the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group.
• Tillerson: Trump Has No Authorization to Target Assad, Iranian Proxies in Syria Sputnik 13 Jun 2017 -- President Trump has no Congressional authorization to order strikes against Damascus or Iran's proxies in Syria, according to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
• Iraqis Explain Why Campaign to Liberate Mosul Has Lasted Eight Grueling Months Sputnik 13 Jun 2017 -- The Iraqi-led coalition is on the brink of driving Daesh out of Mosul, eight months after the offensive began to liberate the city, Iraqi volunteer fighters told Sputnik.
• Turkish Forces Kill 20 PKK Militants in Eastern Turkey, Northern Iraq Sputnik 13 Jun 2017 -- A total of 20 members of Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) were eliminated by the Turkish Air Force in eastern Turkey and northern Iraq, according to the statement of Turkey's General Staff.
• Civil War in Ukraine May Stop if Kiev Implements Minsk Deal - Kremlin Sputnik 13 Jun 2017 -- Kiev is able to stop the civil war in Ukraine if it makes efforts to implement the Minsk deal, the Kremlin said.
• Conflict in Ukraine enters fourth year 'with no end in sight' - UN report UN News 13 Jun 2017 -- Warring parties in eastern Ukraine have repeatedly failed to implement ceasefire agreements, allowing hostilities to escalate and the cumulative death toll to exceed 10,000 as the conflict entered its fourth year, a new United Nations report reveals.
• Analysts: Absence of South Sudan President from IGAD Summit Problematic VOA 13 Jun 2017 -- East Africa was well represented during Monday's Intergovernmental Authority on Development regional bloc summit in Addis Ababa, which Ethiopia's prime minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, convened to discuss the deteriorating situation in South Sudan. The leaders of Uganda, Somalia and Sudan were present, along with Kenya and Djibouti's foreign ministers, and representatives from other regional and international bodies. South Sudan's first vice president, Taban Deng Gai, also attended the summit.
• 'Security vacuum' in Central Africa may be exploited by armed groups - UN envoy UN News 13 Jun 2017 -- The United Nations envoy for Central Africa today expressed his concern that the withdrawal of troops from the regional force by some contributing countries would create a security vacuum that may be exploited by an armed group.

News Reports

• Trump Attacks Latest Court Ruling Against Travel Ban VOA 13 Jun 2017 -- U.S. President Donald Trump is assailing the latest federal appellate court decision blocking his executive order restricting travel from six majority-Muslim countries where terrorist attacks have occurred.
• Tillerson Defends Proposed Cuts to Diplomacy, Foreign Aid Programs VOA 13 Jun 2017 -- U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has defended President Donald Trump's proposal to sharply cut spending on diplomacy and foreign aid while proposing large increases in military spending.
• U.S. Secretary Of State: Bilateral Relations With Moscow Continue To Deteriorate RFE/RL 13 Jun 2017 -- U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said ties between Washington and Moscow were continuing to deteriorate, telling senators that the U.S. administration was still trying to stabilize the relationship.
• US Senators Back Legislation Strengthening Russia Sanctions VOA 13 Jun 2017 -- A group of U.S. Senators agreed Monday on legislation to strengthen sanctions against Russia, including a provision that would require congressional review if the White House relaxed, suspended or terminated sanctions already in place.
• After Moscow Protest Crackdown, Kremlin Critics Question Navalny's Tactics RFE/RL 13 Jun 2017 -- Russia's liberal opposition has long been plagued by infighting. And fresh fissures have emerged over chief Kremlin foe Aleksei Navalny's decision to move an anticorruption protest in Moscow to the city center, where hundreds were detained by police on June 12.
• Russia Criticized For Detaining More Than 1,500 Anticorruption Protesters RFE/RL 13 Jun 2017 -- The United States, the European Union, and human rights groups have condemned the detention of hundreds of peaceful protesters across Russia.
• China, Panama establish diplomatic relations People's Daily 13 Jun 2017 -- China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado, the vice president and minister of foreign affairs of Panama, on June 13. The two signed the Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Panama, the main contents of which are as follows:
• Panama Switch to China Hardens Defiance in Taiwan VOA 13 Jun 2017 -- Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela announced late Monday his Central American country would switch diplomatic ties from Taiwan to China, a move analysts said is a major success to Beijing in its drive to isolate the self-governing island it claims as its own territory.
• Panama to set up official ties with China, ditching Taiwan CNA 13 Jun 2017 -- Panama, one of Taiwan's allies in Central America, announced Tuesday that it has decided to switch diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing, effectively cutting off official ties that it has had with the Republic of China (now more commonly known as Taiwan) for more than a century.
• Taiwan breaks ties with Panama CNA 13 Jun 2017 -- Taiwan is cutting diplomatic ties with Panama after the Central American country switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing, Foreign Minister David Lee (李大維) announced Tuesday.
• Taiwan denounces China for damaging cross-strait peace CNA 13 Jun 2017 -- The Presidential Office on Tuesday denounced Beijing after it established diplomatic ties with Panama for damaging peace across the Taiwan Strait by continuing to use its "one China principle" to suppress Taiwan internationally.
• Taiwan terminates technical aid for Panama CNA 13 Jun 2017 -- Following the severance of diplomatic ties with Panama, Taiwan is terminating all of its technical aid programs in the Central American country.
• President Tsai reaffirms Taiwan's sovereignty after Panama's defection CNA 13 Jun 2017 -- President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said Tuesday that Taiwan will not give in to threats from China, after Panama announced earlier in the day that it was switching diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing.
• 'Domino effect' possible after Panama cuts ties: analysts CNA 13 Jun 2017 -- Taipei must guard against a possible "domino effect" on the diplomatic front as China steps up its suppression of Taiwan internationally, analysts said on Tuesday.
• Taiwan to re-evaluate cross-strait situation after Panama severs ties CNA 13 Jun 2017 -- Although Taiwan's government has consistently expressed goodwill in the development of bilateral relations with Beijing, government agencies will now re-evaluate the cross-strait situation after cutting ties with Panama on Tuesday, Presidential Office spokesman Alex Huang (黃重諺) said.
• Panama's defection damages cross-strait ties: scholars CNA 13 Jun 2017 -- The decision of Panama to switch diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing "has shaken cross-strait relations" and the already strained ties are expected to deteriorate further, Taiwanese scholars said on Tuesday.
• Panama cuts ties with Taiwan, backs 'One China' policy Press TV 13 Jun 2017 -- Panama breaks diplomatic ties with self-ruled Taiwan in favor of establishing formal relations with Beijing, in what is viewed as a diplomatic victory for China which regards Taiwan as a breakaway province.
• Taiwan Outraged by Panama's Decision to Cut Diplomatic Ties With Taipei Sputnik 13 Jun 2017 -- Taiwan's Foreign Minister David Lee said that Taiwan regrets and is outraged by Panama's decision to break diplomatic ties with the island.
• Pakistan Stays Neutral in Qatar-Saudi Dispute, But Mediation Role Unlikely VOA 13 Jun 2017 -- Pakistan would like to help mediate an end to the rift between Persian Gulf allies because it has a lot to lose if the dispute drags on or turns violent, but analysts say it doesn't have enough clout.
• Ankara Backs Qatar in Saudi-led Showdown VOA 13 Jun 2017 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has placed himself at the forefront of the defense of Qatar, in the face of Saudi Arabia-led economic and diplomatic sanctions.
• Mattis Describes Qatar Situation as 'Difficult' VOA 13 Jun 2017 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis described the diplomatic spat between Qatar and several other American allies in the Middle East as a "complex situation" that the United States needed to help solve.
• Saudi Civil Aviation General Authority confirms commitment to prevent all Qatari airlines and aircraft from landing at Kingdom's airports SPA 13 Jun 2017 -- The General Authority of Civil Aviation said in a statement yesterday that it is committed to its decision issued on 10/9/1438 H, corresponding to 5/6/2017, on banning all Qatari aviation companies and aircraft registered in the State of Qatar from landing at the Kingdom's airports or transiting its sovereign airspace.
• UAE General Civil Aviation Authority confirms commitment to prevent all Qatari airlines and aircraft from landing at UAE's airports SPA 13 Jun 2017 -- In light of the boycott being enforced by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Qatar, the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) said in a statement on Monday that it is committed to its decision issued on 10/9/1438 H, corresponding to 5/6/2017, banning all Qatari aviation companies and aircraft registered in the State of Qatar from landing at the State's airports or transiting its sovereign airspace.
• Bahrain reaffirms commitment to Qatari flights ban SPA 13 Jun 2017 -- Bahrain Civil Aviation Authority has reaffirmed commitment to its decision on June 5 banning all Qatari aviation companies and aircraft registered in Qatar from landing at the Kingdom of Bahrain's airports or traversing Bahrain's sovereign airspace.
• Erdogan Says Anti-Qatari Sanctions Contradict Islamic Values Sputnik 13 Jun 2017 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated commenting the sanctions recently imposed against Qatar by a number of states in the Middle East and Africa that depriving Qatari people from food and water, travel, or worship is non-humanitarian, non-Islamic.
• Zarif Says Saudi Arabia Supports Terrorists In Western, Eastern Iran RFE/RL 13 Jun 2017 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has accused Saudi Arabia of "actively" backing terrorist groups in western and eastern Iran.
• India's Kerosene-Based Semi-Cryogenic Engine to Be Flight Test Ready by 2021 Sputnik 13 Jun 2017 -- After the successful launch of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk-III (GSLV Mk-III), the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is now focusing on the semi-cryogenic engine, which uses refined kerosene as a propellant, and is expected to be ready for flight tests it by 2021.
• Russia's Next Carrier-Based Rocket Launch Planned for 2018 - Khrunichev Center Sputnik 13 Jun 2017 -- Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center said that the last launch of Russia's light-class Rokot carrier rocket will take place early next year.
• Ethiopia's Civil Society Getting Squeezed VOA 13 Jun 2017 -- From an internet shutdown to convictions of journalists and opposition members, Ethiopia's civil society has felt like it's under attack in recent weeks.
• OSCE Hails 'Orderly' Kosovo Election Process; EU Calls For Swift Formation Of Government RFE/RL 13 Jun 2017 -- The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) says Kosovo's snap parliamentary elections were held in an "orderly" manner and took place "without major irregularities or incidents."